Remote Desktop Client on iOS: FAQ

08/31/2016

13 minutes to read

In this article

Updated: April 13, 2016

Applies To: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2

You can use the Remote Desktop client to connect to a remote PC and your work resources from almost anywhere. Experience rich interactivity using a remote desktop client designed to help you get your work done wherever you are. For example, you can connect to your work PC and have access to all of your apps, files, and network resources as if you were sitting right in front of your work PC. You can leave apps open at work and then see those same apps using the RD client.

Remote Desktop Client: FAQ

You can use the RD Client to sit at a PC and connect to another PC in a different location (the remote PC). For example, you can connect to your work PC from your home PC and use all of your apps, files, and network resources as if you were sitting right in front of your work PC. You can leave apps open at work and then see those same apps on your home PC.

The following list provides additional resources for using Remote Desktop mobile clients.

How do I set up a PC for Remote Desktop Connection?

On the PC you plan to connect to remotely, do the following:

Open System by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering System in the search box, tapping or clicking Settings, and then tapping or clicking System.

Tap or click Remote settings. You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

In the System Properties dialog box, under Remote Desktop, select one of the two options.

Tap or click Remote settings. You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

To select the search location, tap or click Locations, and then select the location you want to search.

In Enter the object names to select, enter the name of the person that you want to add, and then tap or click OK. The name will be added to the list of people who can connect to this PC.

Note

You can’t connect to a PC that's asleep or hibernating, so make sure the settings for sleep and hibernation on the remote PC are set to Never (hibernation isn't available on all PCs.).

When you want to connect to a remote PC, you'll need to know the full name of that PC.

Open System by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering System in the search box, tapping or clicking Settings, and then tapping or clicking System.

The full PC name is listed under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings.

Which PCs can I connect to using Remote Desktop Connection?

You can only connect to PCs that are running these Windows operating systems:

Windows 10

Windows 8 Enterprise

Windows 8 Pro

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows Vista Business

Windows Vista Ultimate

Windows Vista Enterprise

Windows XP Professional

Windows Server 2000

Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003 R2

Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 R2

Windows Multipoint Server 2011

Windows Multipoint Server 2012

Windows Small Business Server 2003

Windows Small Business Server 2008

Windows Small Business Server 2011

These Windows operating systems can be used as RD Gateway servers:

Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 R2

Windows Small Business Server 2011

These Windows operating systems can be used to serve as RD Web Access or RemoteApp servers:

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 R2

Why can’t I connect using Remote Desktop Connection?

Here are some possible solutions to common problems you might encounter when trying to connect to a remote PC. If these solutions don’t work, you can find more help on the Microsoft Community website.

The remote PC can’t be found. If you see this error, talk to the system admin of the remote PC to make sure you have the right PC name, and then check to see if you entered the name correctly. If you still can't connect, try entering the IP address of the remote PC instead of the PC name.

If the problem keeps happening, talk to the person who set up your network.

The Remote Desktop port might be blocked by a firewall. If you're using Windows Firewall, follow these steps:

Open Windows Firewall by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering firewall in the search box, tapping or clicking Settings, and then tapping or clicking Windows Firewall.

Tap or click Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall.

Tap or click Change settings. You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.

Under Allowed apps and features, select Remote Desktop, and then tap or click OK.

If you're using a different firewall, make sure the port for Remote Desktop (port 3389) is open.

Remote connections might not be set up on the remote PC. To fix this, see the "How do I set up a PC for Remote Desktop Connection?" question in this topic.

The remote PC might only allow PCs to connect that have Network Level Authentication set up.

The remote PC might be turned off. You can’t connect to a PC that's turned off, asleep, or hibernating, so make sure the settings for sleep and hibernation on the remote PC are set to Never (hibernation isn't available on all PCs.).

Why can’t I sign in to a remote PC?

If you can see the sign-in screen of the remote PC but you can't sign in, you might not have been added to the Remote Desktop Users Group or to any group with administrator rights on the remote PC. Ask your system admin to do this for you.

Error: Insufficient privileges

You are not allowed to access the session you want to connect to. The most likely cause is that you are trying to connect to an admin session. Only administrators are allowed to connect to the console. Verify that the console switch is off in the settings for the remote desktop. If this is not the source of the problem, please contact your system administrator for further assistance.

How to configure L2TP or PPTP VPN connections

If you are using L2TP or PPTP in your VPN, please set Send All Traffic to ON in the VPN configuration.

What do I need to connect to an office computer using Remote Desktop Gateway?

To connect using a Remote Desktop Gateway you need three things:

Server name of the Remote Desktop Gateway: rdgw.contoso.com.

Name of your computer/workstation at the office.

Username, domain and password

I cannot find or connect to my computer

Verify that your computer is on. You can either enter your computers IP address or host name.

Important

Using the host name requires your network to resolve the host name properly through DNS. In many home network configurations only the IP address will work properly.

Verify that you are connecting to a supported Windows version.

Note

Windows XP Home, Windows Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home and Windows 7 Home or Starter, and Windows 8 do not support RDP.

VPN does not work

The VPN not working can be due to several issues. Verify the VPN works on the same network from your PC. If you are unable to test from a PC you can try to access some company intranet webpage with your device's web browser and see if this works for at least a couple of minutes.

The 3G network blocks or corrupts VPN: There are several 3G providers in the world who seem to block or corrupt 3G traffic. Verify VPN connectivity works correctly for over a minute.

L2TP or PPTP VPNs: If you are using L2TP or PPTP in your VPN, please set Send All Traffic to ON in the VPN configuration.

VPN is misconfigured: A misconfigured VPN server can cause the VPN connections not to work or stop working after a period of time. Verify testing with the iOS device's web browser or a PC or Mac on the same network to test this issue.

What can I do when the app does not start anymore?

To resolve this issue please open the multi-tasking menu on your iOS device by double-pressing the home button. Then navigate to the RD Client icon and tap and hold your finger on the icon until the icon shows a red circle. Press this red circle to kill the app and then try to restart it.

If this does not work, it could be that settings have been corrupted which prevent the Remote Desktop app for iOS to start properly. To resolve this, delete the application and reinstall.

Which connection methods are supported for company networks?

If you want to access your office desktop from outside your company network, your company must provide you with a means of remote access. The RD Client currently supports the following:

Terminal Server Gateway or Remote Desktop Gateway

Remote Desktop Web Access

VPN (through iOS built-in VPN options

Error: STOP error in Windows XP

This is a bug in Windows XP SP2 and SP3 and has been addressed by Microsoft. You need to open a support ticket with Microsoft to officially download the patch.

Is AirPrint supported?

The RD Client does not support AirPrint.

Is bi-directional sound supported?

Sound upstream (from client to server, for microphones) is not supported by the RD Client.

Why are the characters mixed up in the session?

This issue can occur if the keyboard language has been switched on the remote PC while running a remote desktop session. In the case you would like to switch to a different keyboard language follow these instructions.

Important

The remote PC selects the system language of the device running the remote desktop client and not the keyboard language. When switching the keyboard language on your device, you need to manually switch the keyboard language on the remote PC.

Open settings on your device.

Tap General and then tap International.

Tap Language and select the language running on the remote PC.

Open the RD Client and connect to the remote PC and check if the Windows keyboard language matches the language that you selected.

Why don’t special keys work on a Bluetooth keyboard?

On Bluetooth keyboards modifier keys such as Ctrl, Alt, Shift F-keys do not work as expected. This is a limitation of iOS. You can work around this by using the on-screen keyboard within the remote desktop session that you can activate by a tap on the keyboard icon in the connection bar.

Error: Failed to parse NTLM challenge

This error can be caused by a misconfiguration on the remote PC. Verify the RDP security level setting in the remote PC options is set to Client Compatible.

What can I do if the sound does not play?

If sound doesn't play, log out of the session, not just disconnect, and log in again.

Unsupported Windows Versions and Editions

The Remote Desktop Client will not connect to these Windows Versions and Editions:

Windows XP Starter

Windows XP Home

Windows XP Tablet PC

Windows Media Center

Windows Vista Starter

Windows Vista Home

Windows 7 Starter

Windows 7 Home

If you want to access computers that have one of these Windows versions installed, we recommend you upgrade to a Windows version that supports RDP.

RD Gateway messaging is not supported

Remote Desktop Client does not support RD Gateway messaging. Verify that the Remote Desktop Resource Access Policy (RD RAP) for your RD Gateway server does not specify Only allow computers with support for RD Gateway Messaging or you will not be able to connect.

ERROR: TS_RAP "You are not allowed to connect to the given host ..."

The error message “You are not allowed to connect to the given host through the gateway server because of a Resource Authorization Policy (TS_RAP)” means that a Resource Authorization Policy on the Gateway server prevents your username from connecting to the remote PC. This could be the case:

You have provided the same name for the remote PC as for the gateway.

You are then trying to connect to the RD Gateway server itself which is probably not allowed for your username.

Your Windows user account is not a member of the user groups for remote access on the Remote Desktop server.

If you indeed want to connect to the gateway server itself via the gateway, do not use the external gateway name as PC name, use “localhost” or “127.0.0.1” or the internal server name for the remote desktop. If the entries are correct, ask your system administrator to view the event log on the Terminal server and to check if your user account is a member of the required user groups.

Error message that there is no CAL

When a remote desktop client connects to a Remote Desktop server, the server issues a Remote Desktop Services Client Access License (RDS CAL) stored by the client. Whenever the client connects again it will use its RDS CAL and the server will not issue another license. The server will issue another license if the RDS CAL on the device is missing or corrupt. When the maximum number of licensed devices is reached the server will not issue new RDS CALs. Contact your network administrator for assistance.

Error: Access Denied

The "Access Denied" error is a generated by the Remote Desktop Gateway and the result of incorrect credentials during the connection attempt. Verify your username and password. If the connection worked before and the error occurred recently, you possibly changed your Windows user account password and haven't updated it yet in the remote desktop settings.

How can I test if VPN is working properly?

Verify that VPN is enabled on your device. You can test your VPN connection by going to a webpage on your internal network or using a web service which is only available via the VPN.

Error: RPC Error 23014 or Error 0x59e6

In case of an RPC error 23014 or Error 0x59E6 try again after waiting a few minutes, the RD Gateway server has reached the maximum number of active connections. Depending on the Windows version running on the RD Gateway the maximum number of connections differs: The Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard implementation limits the number of connections to 250. The Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation implementation limits the number of connections to 50. All other Windows implementations allow an unlimited number of connections.

See also

The following list provides additional resources for using Remote Desktop mobile clients.